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MKTEMP(3)                 OpenBSD Programmer's Manual                MKTEMP(3)

NAME
     mktemp - make temporary file name (unique)

SYNOPSIS
     #include <unistd.h>

     char *
     mktemp(char *template);

     int
     mkstemp(char *template);

     char *
     mkdtemp(char *template);

DESCRIPTION
     The mktemp() function takes the given file name template and overwrites a
     portion of it to create a file name.  This file name is unique and suit-
     able for use by the application.  The template may be any file name with
     some number of `Xs' appended to it, for example /tmp/temp.XXXX. The
     trailing `Xs' are replaced with the current process number and/or a
     unique letter combination.  The number of unique file names mktemp() can
     return depends on the number of `Xs' provided; six `Xs' will result in
     mktemp() testing roughly 26 ** 6 combinations.

     The mkstemp() function makes the same replacement to the template and
     creates the template file, mode 0600, returning a file descriptor opened
     for reading and writing.  This avoids the race between testing for a
     file's existence and opening it for use.

     The mkdtemp() function makes the same replacement to the template as in
     mktemp(3) and creates the template directory, mode 0700.

RETURN VALUES
     The mktemp() and mkdtemp() functions return a pointer to the template on
     success and NULL on failure.  The mkstemp() function returns -1 if no
     suitable file could be created.  If either call fails an error code is
     placed in the global variable errno.

ERRORS
     The mkstemp() and mkdtemp() functions may set errno to one of the follow-
     ing values:

     [ENOTDIR]     The pathname portion of the template is not an existing di-
                   rectory.

     The mkstemp() and mkdtemp() functions may also set errno to any value
     specified by the stat(2) function.

     The mkstemp() function may also set errno to any value specified by the
     open(2) function.

     The mkdtemp() function may also set errno to any value specified by the
     mkdir(2) function.

BUGS
     An attacker can guess the filenames produced by mktemp().  Whenever it is
     possible mkstemp() should be used instead.

SEE ALSO
     chmod(2),  getpid(2),  mkdir(2),  open(2),  stat(2)

HISTORY
     A mktemp() function appeared in Version 7 AT&T UNIX.
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